This invention relates generally to basement wall drain units, and more particularly to basement wall drain units for removing moisture from the inner surface and interior of basement walls.
Moisture is known to collect in the interior of basement walls and to run down the inner surface of basement walls due to a multitude of causes, including seepage through the walls from the surrounding ground and condensation. The presence of such moisture is disadvantageous, tending to prevent basements from being fully utilized as living, recreational or functional areas.
In the past, many forms of wall drains and wall-and-floor constructions have been suggested. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,703,002 issued to P. A. Suskind on Mar. 1, 1955, teaches a structure to be affixed to basement walls above the surface of the floor having a sloped trough adapted to collect water seeping through the walls, which water may then be lead by means of channels to a floor drain. This structure has the disadvantages that the channels must be placed in the floors and connected to the floor drains, the troughs are difficult to mount on the walls to provide a suitable slope, and the structure does not allow for the removal of water from the inner surface or interior of the walls below the trought.
A more recent patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,948,993 issued to A. P. Marchi on Aug. 16, 1960, discloses a method of forming basement walls and floors in which vertical members are located adjacent the inner surface of the walls to form vertical drain passages. One disadvantage to this patent is the failure to provide any means to prevent, upon pouring of the concrete floor, the concrete from forming a water impermeable junction with the footing thereby preventing water drainage. Another similar disadvantage arises upon pouring of the concrete floor in that the vertical members have a tendency to be lifted by a floatation effect of the dense liquid concrete acting on the vertical members thereby allowing concrete to flow underneath and behind the displaced vertical members and preventing water drainage upon its solidification. A third disadvantage is that the vertical members are not suitable for use in renovating existing wall-and-floor construction where panelling is affixed to the walls. The presence of panelling prevents the location adjacent the inner surface of the walls of vertical members with sufficient height to ensure that concrete will not flow over the upper edges of the vertical members and upon solidification prevent water drainage. The vertical members must be placed adjacent the inner surface of the walls and can not be located adjacent the panelling as the vertical members require the support of the inner surface of the wall below the surface of the floor to retain the concrete.